If any one cares this is how my first daily based, two years work plan looks like in general.

Mon. Endings 1 h break Strategy 1 h

Tue. End 1 h break Strat 1 h

Wed. Club day

Thur. Openings 1 h break Plan 1 h

Fri. Club day

Sat. End 1 h break Plan 1 h

The literature on every subject is from Averbah, Koblenz, Judovic, Kotov for 1800 Ello player -details here are not necessary. Find on the net one very interesting and helpful article made by Irina Mihkailova-Modern methods for training a chess player.

Does it make sense to search for one ? If you do have your own or know where to find it on the net-paste it here. I would like to see how serious ,systematic daily chess work plan looks like?

Tactics: Work diagrams every day in order to build a bank of visualiztion patterns in your mind. Begin by purchasing, Irving Chernev's book, 1,001 Chess Sacrifices and Tactics."

Begin with the first diagram in the book. There is usually 9 diagrams per page. Sit down with a timer and the book. No chessboard or pieces. Do not set the position up on any physical board. Set the timer for 3min. When the time is up or if you choose a move prior to time running out, stop the timer. Check your answer in the back of the book. If you got it right put a check mark next to the diagram. If you got it wrong put an X next to the diagram. Reset the timer and move on to the next diagram. DO NOT linger on the diagram you just completed. You will come back to it at a later date. The diagram that you got wrong is simply a visual pattern that is not in your memory bank yet. Do 6 pages of 9 diagrams per page per day. Do the Chernev book diagrams 3 times all the way thru, paying special attention to the diagrams you got wrong.

Later on you can purchase or borrow books of diagrams of tactical positions from actual GM and IM tournament games.

This is known as doing your chess exercises so that like an athlete you can stay fit.

Endgame: Work diagrams every day in order to build a bank of checkmate visualization patterns in your mind.

Begin by practicing the basic checkmate endgames (K+Q v K, K+R v K, K+2Bs v K, and K+B+N v K) until you can do them in your sleep. You only need to know one endgame technique wih all the basic checkmate endgames. I call it 'corralling the enemy King.' The power of the piece(s) form a fence around the enemy K. With the help of your own K, step by step, you keep making the fenced in area smaller driving the enemy K into a corner of the board, and then you deliver checkmate. In the K+Q v K basic checkmate endgame caution needs to be exercised in order to not stalemate the enemy king. In the K+B+N v K, the enemy K has to be driven to one of the 2 corners that are the same color as your B. If the enemy K runs to either of the opposite color corners, there is a standard W pattern technique for extracting him from that corner and driving him along the edge of the board to the right color corner where you can deliver mate.

Practice these until you can do them in your sleep. I can guarantee you, after 3 months of practicing these you will see mating nets, in the game you are currently playing, because it will jump up off the board and smack you on the forehead in a flash. I know because it happens to me all the time.

A perspective that will save you thousands of hours. Chess is siege warfare in the form of a game. Siege warfare was practiced by human armies throughout history for centuries in many forms. The assault on a castle in medieval times in movies is the most iconic example for the general public. No matter what the form of siege warfare is employs three methododlogies: restrain, blockade, and execute the enemy.

Mr. Nimzowitch's book, "My System" is a detailed general instructional manual on restrain, blockade and execute the enemy on the chess board. It paraphrases an overarching principle in chess:

Winning chess is the strategically/tactically correct advance of the pawn mass.

The essential companion book to "My System" is Hans Kmoch's, "Pawn Power In Chess". It is the exhaustive manual on the details of pawn play employing the methodologies of restrain, blockade and execute the enemy. Mr. Kmoch's book as a bonus details, regarding the opening the folowing fact: Almost all openings result in 6 characteristic pawn structures. He shines a light on those 6 characteristic pawn structures, and details the prospective plans of attack for both sides (White and Black) based on the pawn structure (terrain of the battlefield on the chess board.) In other words, the pawn structure forms the hills, mountains and valleys of the battlefield on the chess board. Any plan of attack must conform to the pawn structure.

Your 1/2 hr. per day will make achieving a rating of USCF1800 within 2 yrs. possible. But, you will have to combine that 1/2 hr. with weekend rated over the board round robin tournaments which consume considerably more time (your entire weekend.) Playing 60-72 rated tournament games per year, which means you would playing chess 10 to 12 weekends per year. About one tournament per month. One weekend out of every month you would be dedicating to chess.

If one weekend per month would not fit in with your family's extracurricular activities. There is always correspondence chess which you can play from home in your spare time.

So, casual player with limited spare time. I hope this post helps you.

Good luck and hardwork/study in becoming a 'professional gunslinger (a very strong player.)

which may give you some insight. I am working on a computer program to increase my engagement/concentration when playing over a master game. (According to a study, the number of master level games you've reviewed is the best indicator of chess skill: more than puzzles solved, tournament games played, books read, etc). The program is being tested and, when complete, I will release it here for free!